This is because the Gators -- that team ranked preseason No. 1 by every magazine publisher from Lindy Davis to Martha Stewart -- are loaded in the backfield.

They've got a senior, a junior, a sophomore and a freshman.

They've got a darter, a hammer, a bruiser and a phenom.

As a stable of running backs -- and no, none of them individually is Emmitt Smith or Fred Taylor-esque -- Gillespie, Graham, Ran Carthon and Willie Green are as good as it gets.

"Earnest Graham is in the best shape of his life," Spurrier said at UF media day Thursday. "He's lighter. He's quicker. He's stronger. Robert Gillespie is ready to go. Willie Green and Ran Carthon have done some good things in practice.''

When asked about one player, Spurrier tends to ramble on about each player at his position. In this case, he is justified. There is no telling what any one of these backs could do -- if they were in another offense. That would be an offense like Nebraska's, one that focuses on the rushing attack. Last year Florida passed on 56.3 percent of offensive downs, rushing just 43.7 percent, the lowest of the Spurrier era.

Spurrier says he wanted to rush more last year, he just didn't have the ball enough. Though they averaged 37.3 points, the Gators were last in the SEC in time of possession. He puts most of that blame on the defense.

Despite flashes of brilliance from Graham and Gillespie, Florida's run game was inconsistent. The Gators finished the season averaging just 110.5 yards -- second-worst ever under Spurrier, 10th in the SEC and 91st in the nation.

"When we couldn't get anything going, we really couldn't get anything going," said Graham, the junior starter.

"We're going to stick to the same game plan," Gillespie said. "The idea is that we won't run a lot. But when we do, we'll try to take advantage of it. We'll try to pop the big plays."